Tool joint fob rotary drills



sept. 3, 1935. F, 1t |||NDERL|TER Re. 19,690

TOOL JOINT FOR ROTARY DRILLS Original Filed Jan. 13, 1930 Reissued Sept.3, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Serial No. 420,419, January 13,1930.

Reissue No. 19,196, dated December 10, 1931.

Renewed June 5, 1934, Serial No. 720,493, April 13, 1934. Thisapplication for reissue July 15, 1935, Serial 19 Claims.

My invention relates to tool joints, and more particularly to a deviceof that character for coupling the sections of drill pipe employed inrotary well drilling equipment.

In rotary drilling the bit is suspended in the well hole on a tubularrod, known as drill pipe and formed in sections which are connected bycoupling devices known as tool joints, to provide a continuous passagethrough which mudladen iluid is delivered for cleaning the bit,softening the formation and flushing the drillings from the well hole.The fluid, being delivered through the pipe under high pressure, isinclined to seek outlet through the joints and when a leak occurs thefine sand carried in suspension in the fluid I grinds the metal overwhich it flows and rapidly eats away the wall of the joint, shortclrcuiting the duid and thus interfering with the drilling operation.

It is the object oi my invention to obviate such interference with thedrilling operation and the loss incident to such damage to the equipmentby sealing the pipe sections in the joints to prevent initial escape offluid at the joints and thus obviate the destructive eiiects resultingfrom continued leakage.

In accomplishing this and other objects of the invention, I haveprovided improved details of structure, the preferred form of which isillustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. l is a vertical section of part of a well hole, being formed withequipment including drill pipe and tool joints embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of one of the jointsand connected sections of drill pipe.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the tool joint members in disassembledbut related condition, parts being broken away to better illustrateconstruction of the members.

. Referring in detail to the drawing:

I designates a well hole in process of formation with rotary drillingequipment, including drill pipe represented by the sections 2 coupled byJoints 3 to form a continuous string.

4 designates metal casing lining the well hole through which drillingfluid 5, delivered to the bottom of the hole through the drill pipe, isreturned to the top of the hole with cuttings made by the bit duringprogress of the drilling operaion. v

The tool joint, as ordinarily constructed, includes an upper pin member6 having a. tapered socket 1 in its upper end threaded to receive thereversely tapered, threaded end of a pipe section 2, a tapered,exteriorly threaded nipple 8 at its lower end and an intermediate collarportion 9. forming a downwardly facing, exterior shoulder l for abutmentby the rim of the box member of the joint presently described, and anupwardly facing, interior shoulder Il, usually terminating below thethreads of the socket l and bevelled to direct ilow of fluid into therestricted channel l2 in the collar and pin portions 3 and 8.

The box member i3 includes a tapered, threaded socket I4 in its upperend for receiving the nipple B of the pin member 6, a larger, taperedsocket l5 in its lower end for receiving the correspondingly tapered andthreaded end of a lower pipe section 2 and an intermediate collarportion I6 having a throat I1 through which uid is delivered from thenipple into the lower pipe section.

If the parts constructed as described, are without aw and assembledaccurately, they will usually conilne the drilling fluid withoutleakage, but should the threads on the joint or pipe be imperfectlyformed or have become distorted in transport or should the parts beimproperly assembled, the fluid, because of the high pressures employed,will be f-orced from the line through the passage aflorded by theimperfect connection, and particularly will this occur in the pinmembers where the ilow is restricted by the nipples. When such a, leakoccurs, sand particles in the uid grind the surfaces over which theypass, wearing away the metal and rapidly opening the outlet until suchquantity of the fluid is short circuited into the return line as toseriously interfere with the drilling operation.

To prevent such leakage I provide the packing of my invention which inits prererred form includes the following elements assembled in thejoint as I will now describe.

Each of the intermediate collar portions 3 and I6 of the pin and boxmembers of the joint. and particularly the collar portion 9 of the boxmember, is counterbored to provide an annular seat I8 and an abutmentshoulder lil for receiving the lower end of a packing sleeve 20 driveninto the seat i8 or otherwise permanently secured in the pin member, theupper end of said sleeve being extended above the bevelled shoulder Ilto form an annular recess 2l, and the collar being provided with aseries of duid-seal ports 22 immediately above the shoulder Il foraffording communication between the flow channel and recess.

Mounted within the recess 2i is a packing ring 23 preferably having alower squared face 2l to reserve an annular chamber 25 triangular incross-section, for fluid delivered under pressure through the ports 22,thus forming a uid seal for the joint. Additional sealing insurance isobtained through compression of the sealing ring by engagement of itsupper face with the lower end of the pipe section threaded into thesocket 1. The channel I2 is flared outwardly at its respective ends asindicated at 26 and 21 to reduce resistance of flow oi' fluidtherethrough.

The sealed joint between the box member i3 and a lower pipe section ispreferably obtained with identical construction as above described, and,in order to also provide a fluid seal for the= joint between the nipple8 and socket I4, the throat II is counter-bored to form a bevelledshoulder 28, terminating in a flat annular face 28. A relatively shortpacking sleeve 3D, having a series of radial ports 3|, is seated on theface 29 to serve as an inner retaining wall for a packing ring 32 toseal the joint through pressure of fluid entering the ports 3| andthrough compression of the sleeve by engagement of its upper face withthe nipple 8.

A drill collar constructed as above described, may be assembled withpipe sections for operation in a well as follows:

The lower end of a pipe section is threaded into the socket of a pinmember until is presses rmly against the packing. In like manner a boxmember is threaded onto the upper end of the pipe section. Successivepipe sections provided with pin and box members on their upper and lowerends respectively are then screw-threadedly connected together andlowered into the bore of the well. Fluid under pressure is admitted intothe drill pipe, filling the chambers adjacent the packing rings throughthe annular series of ports, thus electing a liquid seal at each jointof the drill collar and pipe sections and obviating any initial leakageof the fluid.

It will thus be evident that I have provided a method of and apparatusfor operating a multipipe section or stand string of rotary drill pipethrough which fluid under pressure is being circulated whereby as thestands of drill pipe are lowered one by one into the well as the depthof the well is progressively increased, tool joints with resilientpacking therein are inserted between the stands of pipe. This packing ispressed into seal- .p ing position by the inserting thrust of the pipesections. Also the packing by reason of its position and inherentcharacteristics, thereafter, yields back and forth in response torelative movement of the pipe sections as the string of pipe is rotatingin the well so that rotary stresses are thus utilized to aid inmaintaining the seal in such joint.

Furthermore, by reason of thc fact that the packing ring is in eachinstance disposed in an enlarged bore to protect the threads in the borefrom erosion, this ring in reality constitutes a tlller in the enlargedbore longitudinally between the fluid passage and the tubular elementthreaded in the bore, whereby a relatively smooth conduction of fluid inthe tool joint between the tubular element and the passage is obtained.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A tool joint including a socket having a shoulder at its base, acollar seated on the shoulder forming a recess between the collar andthe wall of the socket, and packing in the recess spaced from theshoulder engageable by a. member seated in the socket, the collar havingports communicating with the recess at the end of the packing.

2. In a rotary drilling rig including a plurality of stands of pipe,means including tool joints for connecting the stands of pipe togetherand sealing means in each joint arranged to be wedged into seal tightengagement with the walls of the joint by the inserting thrust of thepipe connected to the joint.

3. In a, rotary drilling rig including a plurality of stands of pipe,means including tool joints for connecting the stands o! pipe togetherand resilient sealing means in each joint arranged to be resiiientlywedged into seal tight engagement with the walls oi' the joint by theinserting thrust of the pipe connected to the joint.

4. In a rotary drilling rig including a plurality of stands of pipe,means including tool joints for connecting the stands of pipe together,sealing means in each joint arranged to be wedged into seal tightengagement with the walls of the joint by the inserting thrust of thepipe connected to the joint, and a relatively rigid sleeve disposed inthe tool joint and spaced from the wall thereof to denne an annularpocket in which said sealing means is disposed.

5. A device of the character described for use with drill pipe adaptedfor conducting fluid under high pressure including a coupling memberhaving a threaded socket, and a packing ring compressible against thewall of the socket by thrust of a tubular member inserted into thesocket to protect the coupling member against wear incident to escape ofduid between the coupling member and an inserted tubular member.

6. A device of the character described for use with drill pipe adaptedfor conducting iiuid under high kpressure including a coupling memberhaving a tapered socket, and a packing ring slidable along the taperedwall of the socket and including a relatively rigid member i'orpreventing inward collapse of the ring, whereby the ring may be expandedlaterally outwardly in response to end thrust of a member advancing inthe socket in contact with the one edge of the ring and to restraint ofthe ring by the wall of the socket and by said rigid member to protectthe coupling member against wear incident to escape of fluid between thecoupling member and said member.

7. A rotary tool joint for use with drill pipe adapted for conductingfluid under high pressure including separate joint members adapted forquick connection and disconnection and having pipe sockets, and meansfor sealing the joint including resilient packing in said socketsadapted to be closely pressed against walls of the joint members byinserting thrust of pipe sections.

8. A rotary tool joint for use with drill pipe adapted for conductingduid under high pressure including separate joint members having meansat their outer ends for connection with pipe seotions and having pin andbox portions at their respective inner ends adapted for relatively quickconnection as compared with the connection of the joint members with thepipe sections, resilient packing in the box member and in the ends ofboth joint members adapted to be pressed to sealing relation with wallsof the joint members by connecting thrust of the pin and pipe sections.

9. In a. rotary well drilling apparatus including a multi-stand stringof rotary drill pipe through which uid under pressure is beingcirculated in the drilling of the well, coupling means for connectingthe stands o1' pipe together and adapted to be inserted between thestands as they are lowered one by one into the wel] as the depth of thewell progresses comprising a plurality of pipe tool joints eachincluding resilient sealing means for forming a uid tight joint in thejoint and arranged to utilize the rotary stresses and thrust incident tothe rotation of the stands of pipe in the drilling of the well foraugmenting and maintaining the seal.

10. In a rotary well drilling apparatus including a multi-stand stringof rotary drill pipe through which uid under pressure is beingcirculated in the drilling of the well, coupling means for connectingthe stands of pipe together and adapted to be inserted between thestands as they are lowered one by one into the well as the depth of thewell progresses comprising a rlurality of pipe tool joints eachincluding sealing means for forming a fluid tight jolntin the joint andarranged to utilize the rotary stresses and thrust incident to therotation of the stands of pipe in the drilling of the well foraugmenting and maintaining the seal, said sealing means including aflexible sealing ring concentric with the bore of the drill pipe andincluding means for restraining inward bulging of the ring undercompression so as to concentrate any bulging of the ring in a directiontending to effectuate said seal.

11. A rotary tool joint fer use with drill pipe adapted for conductingfluid under high pressure including separate joint members adapted forquick connection and disconnection and having pipe sockets, and meansfor scaling the joint including packing in said sockets adapted to beclosely pressed against walls of the joint members by inserting thrustof pipe sections.

12. A rotary tool joint for use with drill pipe adapted for conductingfluid under high pressure including separate joint members adapted forquick connection and disconnection and having pipe sockets at theirouter ends, and packing in said sockets adapted to be pressed to sealingrelation with walls of the sockets by thrust of pipe sections uponinsertion of the pipe sections into the sockets to protect the jointagainst wear incident to escape of uid beween the joint members and pipesections.

13. A rotary tool joint for use with drill pipe adapted for conductingfluid under high pressure including Separate joint members having meansat their outer ends for connection with pipe sections and having pin andbox portions at their respective inner ends adapted for relatively quickconnection as compared with the connection of the joint members with thepipe sections, packing in the box member and in the ends of both jointmembers adapted to be pressed to sealing relation with walls of thejoint members by connecting thrust of the pin and pipe sections.

14. A rotary drill pipe joint member having a fluid passage with anenlarged bore internally threaded to receive the threaded end of atubular element and a ring positioned within said enlarged bore toprotect the threads in said bore from erosion when the joint member isin use and to provide a filler in said enlarged bore longitudinallybetween said fluid passage and said drill pipe end whereby a relativelysmooth conduction of fluid between said tubular element and said passageis enabled.

15. A rotary drill pipe joint member having a fluid passage with anenlarged bore internally threaded to receive the threaded end of atubular element and a ring positioned within said enlarged bore toprotect the threads in said bore from erosion when the joint member isin use and to provide a ller in said enlarged bore longitudinallybetween said fluid Passage and said drill pipe and whereby a relativelysmooth conduction of fluid between said tubular element and said passageis enabled, said ring having a shoulder against which inserting thrustof said tubular element is applicable to press said ring into position.

16. A rotary drill pipe joint having a fluid passage with an enlargedbore and internally threaded at one Vcrd to receive the threaded end ofa drill pipe and a ring positioned within said enlarged bore to protectthe threads in said bore from erosion when the joint Amember is in useand to provide a ller in said enlarged bore longitudinally between saidfluid passage and said drill pipe end whereby a relatively smoothconduction of fluid between the pipe and said passage is enabled.

17. A rotary drill pipe joint having a fluid passage with an enlargedbore and internally threaded at one end to receive the threaded end of adrill pipe and a ring positioned within said enlarged bore to protectthe threads in said bore from erosion when the joint member is in useand to provide a filler in said enlarged bore longitudinally betweensaid fluid passage and said drill pipe end whereby a relatively smoothconduction of iiuid between the pipe and said passage is enabled, saidring having a shoulder against which inserting thrust of said pipe isapplicable to press said ring inwardly into position.

18. In a rotary drilling rig including a plurality of stands of pipe.means including tool joints for connecting the stands of pipe together,sealing means in each joint arranged to be pressed into sealed tightengagement with the wall of the joint by the inserting thrust of a pipescrewed into a tool joint. and reinforcing means associated with saidsealing,r means for confining and limiting its displacement whensubjected to said inserting thrust.

19. A rotary tool joint for use with drill pipe adapted for conductinguid under high pressure including a box member having a threaded socket,a pin member having a threaded Shank adapted to be screwed into saidsocket, and a packing ring compressed between said members by the thrustof the pin member inserted in said socket for preventing escape of Iluidunder pressure between the threaded portions of said socket and shank.

FRANK YJ. HINDERLITER.

